Identify Weather Threats Hurricanes-Tropical Storms

Biggest takeaway:
Most think WIND when they think of hurricanes & tropical storms. However, they are actually FOUR threats combined –

1. Rain Flooding
2. Tidal Flooding/Storm Surge
3. Wind
4. Tornadoes

Warning/Trigger for Plan:
NWS Hurricane or Tropical Storm Watch or Warning (issued only for the wind threat)
The other threats are covered by watches & warnings from your planning sections above on flooding, tornadoes, and tidal flooding.

Advance Notice/Time to Activate & Accomplish Your Planned Response:
A Watch is typically issued 24-72 hours in advance of the wind threat.
A Warning is typically issued 12-24 hours in advance of the wind threat.
The other threats are covered by watches & warnings from your planning sections above on flooding, tornadoes, and tidal flooding.

Frequency:
* A landfalling hurricane in the Mid Atlantic is very rare (once in every 50 – 100 years on average). It has been decades for us. When it does occur again, and we get our “Sandy”, it will be truly devastating to the region - and unlike anything we remember in our lifetimes.
* Having a remnant of a former tropical storm or hurricane passing over the Mid Atlantic is much more common, about 0-2/year on average. Flooding is the most common threat with these, but the other 3 threats should not be discounted, and should be monitored.

How Accurate Warnings?
* Hurricane and Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches continue to get even more accurate. Forecasting the track/path of the storm is particularly accurate. The range of possibilities of the track of the center of the storm (not the extent of the impacts) is denoted by the “error cone” typically shown with the track forecast.  Intensity forecasting (how strong the winds will be) is reasonably accurate, but you should allow for 1 category higher wind speeds than forecast in your planning.